Dutch tomatoes rant

There I was at the Farmer's Market in need of good ingredients for a salad. I found the scallions, fresh cilantro, a couple of jalapenos, then I spotted some deep red tomatoes on the vine. They smelled so good, looked so good.

I get home, set about chopping, imagining the tomatoes are from California or Florida or maybe even local Tennessee ones. Then I see the label, the tomatoes are Dutch. What are we doing importing tomatoes from Holland? Can't we grow tasty tomatoes in America? How much does it cost to send a box of tomatoes from Rotterdam to Tennessee? Too much, I bet.

many american farmers are being put out of work because of imported agriculture...i work closely with apple and plant packers here in the northwest, and the produce being shipped from south america and china is putting these farmers out of work...

we need to support the american farmer and buy produce grown in the united states, the label on the fruit/vegetable should say where it is grown...

It's weird, but imported food is generally a lot cheaper than its equivalent domestically-grown counterpart. Agriculture is one of the few areas where the US still gives out large subsidies and maintains major trade barriers.

I'm a supporter of free markets and foreign access to the American market. But the European Union, of which Holland is a member, has a highly subsidized agricultural sector. I don't know whether this applies to Duth tomatoes, perhaps Monique knows.

If the Dutch tomato sector is state-subsidized then it's hardly free trade to let them compete with American tomatoes unless they are equally subsidized.

I don't buy American simply to be patriotic or to support farmers here. If I think Chilean apples are better than Washington ones, that's what I'll buy. It just seems odd that Dutch tomatoes can be cheaper than American ones. What's going on?

You have to look at the season when they are produce. When are tomatoes produc in the US and when is it holland. Let assume that rigth now the U.S. is only green house tomatoes whereas in Holland it is the peak season for tomatoes. This would explain why U.S. tomatoes are more expensive.

Anyway US subsidized its agriculture as much as the European union and I think Holland is one the country that get few subsidis v.s. France and Germany. France and Germany get heavy subsidis form E.U.

Th european union sucks, because of all the cheap fruit and vegatables from the EU many british farmers have been put out of business because they cant compete with the prices that the european farms charge.